


much blacker than they smear it

by CannibalHello



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Rex Glass doesn't give Juno his name, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-19 09:10:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13120620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CannibalHello/pseuds/CannibalHello
Summary: By the time Rex Glass walked into his life it’d been years since the days his soulmate’s name (or anything with the same first syllable) caught his attention. Dark Matters agents with legs like stilts and teeth like throwing knives, that was another matter.





	1. Chapter 1

In most of Hyperion City, a soulmark isn’t worth the ink it’d take to black it out. In Oldtown, it’s about as good as a broken leg - another weakness to exploit, another thing keeping you from running away. So Juno Steel learned early to keep his mark out of sight, out of mind. By the time Rex Glass walked into his life it’d been years since the days his soulmate’s name (or anything with the same first syllable) caught his attention. Dark Matters agents with legs like stilts and teeth like throwing knives, that was another matter.

Another matter that was currently leaning in toward Juno, eyes sparkling and teeth flashing, and purring about names of all things. Juno pretended not to feel the itch of his mark under the band strapped firmly over it. “You’re not gonna get this one outta me, Glass. A lady never tells.” 

Glass hummed, still looking more amused than anything. “Ah well. I will admit to being curious.”

“Well, I’m told admitting you have a problem is the first step,” Juno quipped, eyes wandering to Glass’ own wrists, covered by the long sleeves of his ‘nondescript Dark Matters spook’ getup. “Why so interested?”

“The impossible Juno Steel has a soulmate,” Glass said - had his face always been that close? “One wonders what they’re like. Another mysterious PI? Or perhaps you’re the ‘opposites attract’ type?”

“If you figure it out, do me a favor and keep it to yourself. I’ve got enough trouble, the last thing I need is to deal with whatever schmuck is unlucky enough to get saddled with me.”

Glass disappeared at the end of the case, trading the key to Juno’s safe for the cologne that pulls him back in whenever he manages to stop thinking about the thief for more than a minute. Part of him is glad that Glass slipped out of the HCPD’s grip, part of him (most of him, all of him if he catches a glimpse of sharp teeth or a whiff of that _damn_ cologne) wants to find Glass, pin him down and demand answers. 

Juno’s wrist itches, under his armband, where a name he never game a damn about clings stubbornly to his skin. He wants an answer. A name.

But Rex Glass is gone, and all Juno’s got are memories and regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "My Name" from the musical Oliver because I think I'm funny.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juno Steel has a sharpshooter's eyes, a name on his wrist, and a hundred questions. Rex Glass has no reason to stay on Mars. Right?

The next time Juno sees Rex Glass, he’s lounging on a couch in the type of club Juno only sees after he gets roughed up a little on the way in. He’s sporting a split lip from mouthing off and Glass is wearing a skimpy little silver number and ruby red lipstick, his heels kicked up into the lap of the mob boss Juno came to see.

“Mal,” Glass drawled, giving Juno a once-over with heavy-lidded eyes that would be equally at home on a predatory cat. “You didn’t say your ‘friend’ was so dashing.”

Mal Carlisle, small time mob boss with big time goons, grinned open and smug at Juno. “Steel, meet Leo Crystal. Leo, Steel.”

“Crystal?” Juno tried to hold back his snort of disbelief, but more out of concern for his face than Glass’ cover. “I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I have a problem with pretty people who lie to me.” Carlisle’s hand closed around Crystal’s ankle, and Juno was surprised at the urge to grab his blaster. Put it down to the effect of Crystal’s cologne in the air. “Ugly people, that I can handle. So Carlisle, what do you have to say about the disappearances around here?”

It took all of Juno’s concentration to pry information out of Carlisle between his clumsy deflecting and the barbs that Juno and Crystal were trading over his head. The more he spoke the more Juno saw how Crystal was different from Glass - Glass was a dangerous thing, being nice because it was just as amusing as it would be to tear you apart but less likely to stain his jacket. Crystal wasn’t trying to be nice, even if he might have sounded like it sometimes. Everything Crystal did was a lure, a predator drawing prey close to its teeth to save the effort of lunging for it.

It was a perfect mask, up until Carlisle drew his blaster on Juno and Glass pinned his wrist to the arm of the couch with one impressive heel. By the time the two of them were concealed behind a dumpster, watching Carlisle’s goons sweep past the mouth of the alley, Crystal was all Glass again. Except. 

Except the hand that had grabbed Juno’s arm to pull him behind the dumpster, the thumb that smoothed over the band on his wrist once, twice, three times before it let go. Not like he wanted to get at whatever was underneath, but the same way Juno would pat down his concealed box cutter. Like a security blanket.

“Well,” Glass said, before Juno could figure out what to say about... that. “As much as I appreciate a daring chase, I will say I’m a bit disappointed. I put a lot of work into that job.”

“Glass,” Juno managed before he lost direction. _What’s your deal with my mark? Who were you, just now?_ “How’s a guy like you end up draped all over Mal Carlisle? I figured you for a more expensive date than that.” _Coward_ , Juno cursed himself, but what else was new.

“A small fish in the grand scheme of things, yes.” Glass mused, leaning past Juno to look down the alley. “But a small fish that swims with sharks, on occasion. And one that’s not very careful with his information.” He pulled back behind the dumpster but didn’t move away from Juno, one hand coming up to examine his split lip in the neon-tinted light. “Apparently not very careful with his guests, either.”

“Please, that? Cheapest cover charge in the city. You oughta see what it takes to get me into some place classy.” Juno tried to pull back from the thumb dragging over his lower lip - salt stinging the split, his heart racing - only for his head to hit the dumpster with a ringing thud. 

“As amusing as that may be, I’m much more interested in what it takes to get you back to your apartment.” The hand that wasn’t on Juno’s face trailed down his arm - the unmarked one, this time - and circled his wrist. Juno was caught up in the playful glint in Glass’s eye, both because of its proximity and because something about it was just… not Glass.

“Who are you?” Juno spoke with as little breath as possible so he didn’t have to think about it brushing over Glass’ mouth. 

Glass smirked, but whatever Juno had seen in his eyes before vanished. “Who do you want me to be, detective?”

Juno gave himself a second before he answered, ducking away from Glass’ hands. “Not the kind of guy who pins a lady to a dumpster, for a start.” He made a show of taking out his blaster and looking down the alley. “Come on, looks like Carlisle’s thugs gave up the scent.”

This time, when Glass disappears, Juno knows he isn’t gone for good. For all his faults, Juno Steel was actually a pretty good detective. Glass’ hand on his wrist, his thumb on Juno’s split lip - hell, even his crummy alias and his feet over Mal Carlisle’s lap - it added up to something. Rex Glass didn’t have any reason to stick around Mars, but there he was, slipping out of Juno’s apartment and out into the night again. 

Juno muffled a groan with a pillow and pretended it didn’t smell like someone else. He could feel things coming to a head, that bowstring-tight feeling like right before he broke a case. It wouldn’t take long before he figured it out, whatever Glass was up to. The only question left was, did he really want to know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feat. the laziest Peter Nureyev Fake Name ever. Well, let's pretend he and I chose it on purpose.


End file.
